Rolith and AGC Collaborate on Anti-Reflective Glass

Rolith Inc., a leader in developing advanced nanostructured coatings and devices, recently announced a partnership with Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (AGC) to develop an advanced anti-reflective glass. Widely used glass sheets today reportedly reflect approximately 4-8% of light, which is caused by sharp transition between materials with very different refractive indexes—glass and air. The resulting glare is undesirable because it interferes with the human eyesight and obstructs visibility.

The advanced anti-reflective glass being developed by the companies is based on the “moth eye” approach found in nature—an array of nanostructures mimicking an insect’s eye. Rolith brings to the project its proprietary manufacturing method—Rolling Mask lithography, which enables nanostructures to be created on large-area glass panels in a cost-effective manner.

The nanostructured anti-reflective glass reportedly reduces reflections in an exceptionally wide wavelength spectrum and a wider range of viewing angles over traditional PVD thin film-coated glass. In addition, it is also expected to improve environmental stability over competitive products such as polymeric nanostructured films and hybrid organic-inorganic coatings on glass.

“Through this strategic partnership, we are able to deliver a truly innovative, high-performance anti-reflective glass,” said Boris Kobrin, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Rolith. “AGC’s commitment demonstrates the significant progress of Rolith’s technology to date, and together we are now positioned to accelerate development of novel advanced glass products based on our fabrication method.”